Criteria for Starting an Education Health and Care Assessment of a Child’s/Young Person’s Special Educational Needs
This is a guide to the Criteria for starting an Education, Health and Care assessment only as each child/young person has unique strengths and needs and may not fit into set criteria. In this case West Berkshire EHC panel will use their knowledge and experience and the evidence presented to them to decide if an Education, Health and Care plan should commence.
West Berkshire Criteriafor an Education Health and Care Assessment
1) Child or young person has been identified as having severe, complex and persistent special educational needs and has been supported through a graduated support approach in school or college, in accordance with the Code of Practice, and identified as requiring Special Educational Needs support.
2) Child or young person has failed to make adequate progress despite appropriate intervention having taken place including seeking and implementing appropriate advice from professionals.
Adequate progress is defined by the SEN Code of Practice as:
• is similar to that of peers starting from the same baseline
• matches or betters the child’s previous rate of progress
• closes the attainment gap between the child and their peers
• prevents the attainment gap growing wider
3) The child or young person receives additional SEN support over the equivalent of £6000 SEN provision in a school or college. This is the designated funding that a mainstream setting can reasonably be expected to provide. For the very young and for private Early Years Settings, alternative funding arrangements are available.
4) When in educational provision the young person must have a holistic school plan (we recommend the West Berkshire Achievement and Support Plan) which identifies all their needs and the provision that is being provided for them and records how this is reviewed and modified.
Evidence needed to make decision
1)The views wishes and feeling of the child, young person and his or her parents.
2)Evidence of the child’s or young person’s attainment and rate of progress over time.
3)Information about the nature, extent and cause of the child’s/young person’s SEN.
4)Evidence of the action already taken by the placement to meet the child’s or young person’s SEN.
5)Evidence that when progress has been made, it has only been as a result of much additional effort and instruction at a sustained level over and above that which is usually provided.
6)Evidence of a child’s/young person’s physical, emotional and social development, care and health needs.
7)Where a young person is over 18, evidence that remaining in education or training would help them progress and build on what they have learned before and help them make a transition to adult life.
Additional guidance that a child’s or young person’s needs are severe
A child or young person may have severe needs but these could be effectively met through a range of reasonable adjustments or interventions and the child or young person may not need an EHC plan.
1)Child or young person is functioning at below the 2nd percentile in their area of special educational need.
OR
2)Child or young person needs significant support (over £6,000) in order to access the curriculum because of their disability
Additional guidance that a child’s or young person’s needs are complex
A child or young person may have a severe need but these could be effectively met through a range of reasonable adjustments or interventions and the child or young person may not need an EHC plan.
1)Evidence of a range of SEN needs which interact together to make the child’s or young person’s needs complex, including health and care needs.
2)Evidence of the need for a range of interventions or support to be in place.
Evidence a child’s or young person’s needs are persistent
A child may have severe needs but following appropriate intervention their SEN needs may be addressed and therefore a EHC may not be necessary.
1)Evidence that needs remain over time despite appropriate intervention being put into place, reviewed and adapted.
2)Child/young person has received appropriate support and guidance from the relevant service:
- Educational Psychology Service
- ASD Mainstream Advisory Teacher
- Behaviour Support Team
- Sensory Consortium Service
- Speech & Language Therapy Service
- Occupational Therapy Service
- Physiotherapy Service
- Special Needs Support Team
- Specialist Inclusion Support Service
3)Evidence that professional advice has been followed and appropriate strategies have been implemented, reviewed and, where appropriate, modified.